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Great to hear Kelly! As mentioned in the vid, there were multiple issues with the early 390s so it's good they ironed out most, if not all, problems by the time they made the adventure model.
Over 10.000 Km on mine and no issues, and do a lot of dirt, grave and farm trails, Put the Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires and they handle every thing I have tried and last a long time.
A few viewers think I am too critical of the 390 as an adventure bike... especially viewers from India who are patriotic about it being built in India. It's very tricky trying to give an objective overview on any adventure bike as the definition of 'adventure' is so elastic nowadays. My background has always been 'adventure bikes' with 21 inch front wheels and a decent amount of suspension, so any bike with a 19 inch front and shorter adventurized road suspension feels very awkward on rougher dirt roads. So my review is just trying to warn people not to expect too much offroad performance from the 390... while it will be a real hoot to ride on twisty mountain roads of course. This is definitely a road bike which has been 'adventurized'. That will suit many riders perfectly! Others will find the offroad performance disappointing.
The Aussie version of the 390 Adventure has been gimped since it doesn't come with stock engine cage nor engine cover that's any good (need to buy them from KTM as add on). It's weird since we have so much good bush to ride these things on. On a better note, It DOES come with Quickshift+ and Cornering ABS as stock which is not a thing even possible on the Duke 390 in Oz (comes standard with QuickShift+ in India) as I've called around to get the software upgrade for my Duke 390 2021 but it's not allowed. I guess the nanny state doesn't want Duke 390's in Aus to be hooning around the streets with Quickshift+ as standard (weird as it's on the Husky 401's) But honestly you can't beat the price for the 390 Adventure considering how much extra stuff you get compared to others in the beginner off road class at the price point they are aiming at (around $9k-11k) like full LCD, Cornering ABS and QuickShift+ just to name a few. The more videos I see of the 390 Adventure the more I regret getting just the normal Duke 390 (Didn't know the dif at time of purchase) since converting the Duke into a Adventure would cost around $4-6k alone with stock parts.
I thought it was an honest first impression. Back when I was younger adventure bikes were in their infancy and expensive. We used to put 21 inch front wheels, nobbies, strip the bikes, grab some beers and go dick around in the dirt!
Love my 390. I think it's a very underrated bike. With a few mods it is easily capable of more than just the standard gravel road. I ride it mostly offroad and highway in Vic High Country. And have certainly pushed beyond my skill (new to offroad riding). Great bike. Lots of fun. 👍
I have one and love it. It's a great adventure bike as long as its ridden within its limitations. Perfect for throwing camping gear on and exploring forest roads and jeep trails.
I love my 390 Adv. My first motorcycle. Great bike on which to learn. That said, I'm selling her today because I got a Ducati Multistrada V4S, and the 390 won't see much use other than when the V4S is being serviced, and she deserves a home where she'll still be ridden more. She was perfect to learn on, and has served me well. If anything, I think she sits a bit tall, and I'm 5'11". Tip-toes to have both feet down at a stop on level ground. The KTM PowerParts seat makes things a bit more comfortable. 99.999% of my 3100 miles of use was on the street. She strains a little going above 75mph on the expressway, but so does a Geo Metro. Below that, she's quite capable, and has decent pickup for 43hp. Considering I literally bought her as a relatively inexpensive option to learn on, and make sure I would enjoy riding at all (I'm addicted!), she has more than done me well. Pair her with a Garmin Zumo XT GPS, and she's just brilliant. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 390 Adv, especially as an entry-level bike for someone starting out, although she's certainly not limited to that.
Wow, that's quite a step up from the 390 ADV to the V4S. What made you decide to go that big rather than a V2S or Maybe even a KTM 790 or BMW 750 or 850 GS? Did you ride many others or just go straight to the V4S? I've been riding a few years and now that I'm more comfortable riding, I'm thinking about getting something larger, but I was thinking about going into the 390 ADV. Now I'm wondering if that might be a mistake since you seemed to outgrow it so quickly. Appreciate your thoughts.
@@ontheway4034 I fell in love with the looks (I have a classy Aviator Grey 2021 model). I went home, looked at the feature set, saw the heated grips, heated seat, adaptive cruise control, different riding modes...just a huge feature set, and I couldn't get her quickly enough. :) Love at first sight, but went for the specs. The 170hp definitely gives you GFTO Mode[tm] when things get hairy around idiot drivers, too.
My son got one back in February. 10k km now. He seems to like it a lot! I have ridden it a little, and I like it too! All of a sudden, fun was had at 10/10 devil horn level😆 I think the video is pretty accurate when it comes to shortcomings and plus sides. It is a little buzzy on the highway, but not really a problem with the added weight of bark busters. Double take mirrors and the factory aftermarket bashplate is also good to have. It is a small frame bike, meaning it accommodates shorter riders. I know several that see their confidence level rise significantly on this bike! The seat is not an issue as far as(s) I can tell. The only thing that disappointed me, was the short life of the chain and the unrefined quick shifter. Getting a quality upgraded chain now. The TKC70's tell a lot about the focus of this bike. Touring on road, with some off road capabilities. It is really fun to ride!
Don't even have to look as far as the tires. A look at the stock wheel is also quite telling. But for someone just getting into adventure bikes this would be brilliant. I for one would have loved this when I first started riding
It's good we have level of variety of adv bikes available now. I'll always go for the dirt oriented models but I'm sure many will appreciated the road oriented ones.
@Mr G DunningAgreed. The whole point of this bike is to get one bike as cheap as possible, to do as much as possible as good as possible in the budget. It hits a sweet spot for a lot of people.
I felt it was a very honest and accurate review. I own a 390A with just over 6000 miles on it. I love it for what it is....a bike that's super fun on backcountry tarmac which is also very comfortable on any double track dirt road one might encounter along the way. Can it do more? Of course but you may need to slow down and be more judicious with your line choice. I also own a Honda crf300l which I find to be a great companion bike. If my day consists mainly dirt Ill take the 300 but If it a good mix or I'm traveling farther I'll take the 390. I love them both.
Good choice of small bikes to cover the spectrum there, Miguel. A cheap selection too! Both those bikes still cost less than a KTM 890, Triumph 900 or BMW850. 👍😊
I’ve owned the 390 adventure for 3 months. If you use it for what I think it’s intended purpose is then it’s really good. I mostly commute with it, I did just take it on a 1400 mile trip down the coast. It did just fine at the hwy speeds and was plenty of fun in the corners. I occasionally hit some dirt/gravel roads with it and it does very well in those situations. It’s not a dirtbike by any stretch, but I didn’t buy it to be. The seat is uncomfortable on long trips (padded shorts help quite a bit), the bars are too low stock and the pegs are weird to stand on. It can all be changed and isn’t really anything different than stuff that gets changed on most other bikes.
@@crosstrainingadventure I'm 1,75 tall and I feel that with the standard seat I have to stretch just a little my legs to touch the ground with my feet. But the bike isn't suitable for taller bikers then you install a taller seat, something is wrong here so just leave the bike as is. Someone suggested padded pants and that would be a solution. Just I wonder why KTM installed that off road like hard seat?
I have done many gnarly roads on mine with huge pot holes and deep ruts and have not had a problem with them and also some tractor tracks with grass 2' deep in the center. Did upgrade the bash plate and hand guards to better KTM ones. I also went with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires form new.
Just pickup 2022 390 adv. Changed the oil & filters 114 miles. Lots of metal. I recommend early change due to what I found. Ergo, the seat is like sitting on a boulder. Bar riser is the first mod I did, much better now. Clutch cable for the riser I went to a Himalayan cable. It is about 2" longer and works well. Have 160 miles on it now and it is an awesome bike. Oh, I recommend grip puppys for the vibration. Over all I give it a score of " 8.8 out of 10 ". Not perfect but not bad for the money.
My 390 adv keeps on rockin up until now. I made a lot mods on my bike and i really enjoy it. Doing a lot offroading here in the philippines. I luv ur honest review
I own a 390 ADV and I have put close to 3000 miles on it so far. Your review is solid except for the bit about the stock skid plate. It is actually two pieces, thin metal and plastic that leaves quite a lot of the exhaust exposed. The rest is spot on. I like that you point out that it is "a ball of fun" on twisty roads. Bikes are always on a spectrum and nothing does everything well so I like your diagram and agree with its placement. I do a fair bit of dirt, gravel, double and single track and the point about the weight and lack of ground clearance is also fair. The brakes are okay but not as strong as they really need to be. The suspension is adjustable and very linear, it does okay except when you really push it. I replaced the stock two-piece saddle with the KTM power-part rally seat. It is taller, more comfortable and allows for easier movement. I installed Black Dog foot pegs, bar risers, bark busters and an AXP skid plate. These upgrades have solved pretty much all of the bikes fitment/protection issues and at the price you don't have to spend a lot to get a lot out of this bike.
I have the KTM 390 Adventure and am loving it. Had the Versys 300X and hands down will take the KTM over the versys, Better on the paved roads and better off road. I getting over 400 Km per tank of gas, did up grade the bash plate and hand guards to better KTM ones. and went with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires. also have GIVI 33/46 liter hard bags on it and fully loaded still get 3.2 liters per 100 Km, We have some pretty Gnarly dirt roads hear and it handles them all, as well as some off road. I have done 400 Km non stop and find the seat just fine. and have no problem standing on the pegs. If you want to ring its neck it will get up and go, but that is not my stile of riding, and I do off road at a slower pace, never racing over or through things, and that is what this bike is meant for, if you want to race get a duel sport. I find it odd that people keep saying the Royal Enfield Himalayan is great of road and the KTM is only OK but when you put them back to back the KTM dose much better than the Himalayan so do not know what is up there. Even with the tires I have on I have not found any thing that I could not get through with ease. I have also watch the KTM 390 go quit fast over very rocky single track and the rims were not damaged, so again not sure what they are talking about, just put the wright tires on and no need to air down, Sure it is not a Duel Sport but it is not clamming to be, and I will take it where most will not take there large ADV bikes. I also have a DR650 with a 20 liter gas tank and it to is a great all round bike, Bough have there purpose and bough put a huge smile on my face every time I take them out. Do not under estimate the KTM for off road use, the ground clearance is less than some but the stiffer suspension makes up for it. Put a better bash plate on it and let her sing.
@@crosstrainingadventure 3.2 liters per hundred is on the KTM 390 Adventure. not the DR650 the DR650 is most likely around 5 but never tested it much to give a true average. I have got 2.8 on the KTM but that was taking it easy just to see how much I could get. average is 3.2
I've got one and as a new rider (12 months) I really enjoy it. Many of the comments you make are accurate. The people that think less of the bike because of the cast wheels and low ground clearance I believe are missing the point. This bike is not designed to compete with the big dirt focused adv bikes. I compare it to the CB500x. It's a cheap, fun bike that can do light off-road and gravel trails. For the money (I got mine for $8500 on the road) I don't think it can be beat. I too struggled with vibrations but found removing the pre-muffler (verex Tasmania sell a kit) made them basically disappear. It sounds much better now too! In my inexperienced opinion, this bike is an excellent buy if you use it for what it designed to do. It is not a 790 adv, but it is heaps of fun.
Very good comparison, I've owned the CB500X and think it's exactly the same part of the market. My main concern is someone might see all the KTM promo pics of guys riding the 390 aggressively in the dirt and then think they'll be able to do this too... it really is just a road bike with a few adv trimmings.
Had mine for 8 months - it’s a great first bike that lets you explore gravel roads and mild off road but it’s not a dirt bike (not that it’s suppose to one) . No complaints from me
Great to hear, Brandon! The owner of this 390 in the vid was expecting it to be more dirtworthy so will probably opt for something with a 21 inch front wheel next...
I think this is a spot on review. First oil change is scary. Lots of bits in the screens. Like left over gasket material or something. Nothing hard. But worth noting.
@@crosstrainingadventure I mean there were a lot of bits stuck to those filter screens. I've never seen that in a first oil change before. Not on the 790 for sure. Have pics. Check advmatts channel and his first oil change. Mine was a little worse than his.
It's made in India and that means low wages and a lot of curry in the engine! I watched the service video and I can tell these little things attached to the oil filters are machining and gaskets dust so that means they assembled the engine without first cleaning carefully all parts.
Outstanding review and wise opinions all across the board! Wouldn't have said it better, and I am pretty vocal about these kind of subjects =) Keep up the good work... I've been following it for years! (You guys used to be with the "Awesome players", right?)
@@crosstrainingadventure you just blew my mind... Well, if you are not them, good job following the same lines! Brilliant minds think alike, they say :D I think they are australians as well. Cheers and keep it up. Im a big fan
Just had a look, they are definitely north Americans! If they sound slightly Aussie, they might regional Canadians as there are lots of Canadian accents with a strong UK influence... like us. 😁
@@crosstrainingadventure i cover myself in shame... I was so certain they were aussies...heck, i was 99% sure you were the same group of people, which is even weirder! Oh well... ^^ keep it up
This bike is a lot of fun on gravel and bitumen. It's not for getting big air but will go almost anywhere. For bigger rides I use my 790, but the 390 is great for doing silly things. My son and wife are also starting to ride it. Things I don't like - soft nuts and bolts, clutch lever perch needs to slide of the bar to be replaced meaning removing (heated) grip and bark busters, I have removed the low screen as I was getting buffeted about the head. Good $ value. Can often ride rings around bigger expensive adventure bikes.
I own a KTM 390 adventure that I have ridden about 2000 miles. I find the review to be fair. I find the if you keep revs at 4-5000 or 30 to 60 mph vibration is minimal. Above or below, vibration is more severe. I find the seat reasonably comfortable. The built-in turn by turn navigation works great and is a big plus fir me. I ride paved and dirt roads, maximum offroad capability is not a requirement for me.
Great to hear it's working out for you, Thomas. I suspect the only disappointed riders would be those who thought it would be better offroad, or they are too tall for the bike.
Fantastic "review" with strait to the point and useful information as well as an even better comparison chart! Simply amazing and just the proper way to go! Congrats!
Pretty accurate review. I found the handle bar vibes virtually disappeared once the offset risers were installed. In comparison to it its main competition I would say its OEM suspension adjustment (rebound and compression on forks and pre load and rebound on shock), lean sensitive ABS is outstanding - some of the main reasons I chose the 390 over the GS310 / CBX500 / Versys300 etc. I noticed some comments about the chain here and have seen a few on the forums. Perhaps it's riding style, quite variable quality control? (or just maintenance), but I have about 8500km on the bike and only one minor adjustment on the chain Another thing that you might find curious, according to the VIN numbers on the bikes (at least it seems so here in Oz), the bikes are manufactured in Austria.
Good points, Brian. Yes there don't seem to be enough comments to definitely say there are issues with the chain. That is weird about the VIN, all of KTM's press releases have said the bike is definitely made in India. 🤔
Love my 2021 390 adventure. Dirt roads, bush, twisties and some single tracks. Bar risers, knobby tyres, gel pad in seat and its a nice bike for the price. Good bike for starters to get the taste and feel for adventure riding.
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I'm kind of regret getting the Duke 390 instead of the 390 Adventure, main issue is the Aussie Duke 390 doesn't have QuickShift+ as standard like the Indian models or 390 Adventure has.
Now, the big question: how does it compare to the mighty DR650 in terms of long distance adventure riding? I love my 96 DR, done the mods, ride it everywhere and in my mind it’s always been the bike that I’ll take round the world in a couple of years. However, the 390 Adv seems like a great package with its modern chassis, fuel economy, ABS brakes and better touring comfort. It just seems so much nicer to live with when you’re mainly riding pavement and bad roads traveling from A to B. What do you think?
So how do I decide between the 390 Adventure, CRF 300 Rally and DR 650? I'm an intermediate rider, 58 years old small in stature 5'7" 140 lbs, 32 inch inseam. I rode a lot off road in my younger years but nothing in the last 40 years. I plan on riding about 50% pavement, 40% twin track and 10% single. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
A very important information is missing, it's the high endurance with one full tank. I think that no other bike can compare with the 390 adv and the manufacturer made a good marketing choice. You can't compare this bike with the Suzuki dr650 because it has a much bigger engine, it doesn't have electronic, it has a pity small gas tank and even without cap's lock! The BMW one has a less powerful engine also I hate the brand because they "lure" you into warranty and service programs that equal to your salary goes to BMW for your entire life! The first thing that I appreciated in the 390 adv is its weight located quite low so the bike is very stable.
If we go strictly by engine capacity then the 390 should only be compared to other bikes like the DRZ400, Bill. But there are many riders interested in bikes under 170kg so we do tend to group all the relevant bikes together and do comparisons. It's just a shame there aren't more options around 400cc. Out of interest, all the DR650s sold in Australia have fuel cap locks, is this different in other countries?
@@crosstrainingadventure I don't disagree with the idea of comparing these "very" different bikes so I just expressed my thoughts. It was good also because I could compare key features for each bike. Regarding the DR650, yes you're right, my bad, the stock tank has the cap with the lock. I was confused because people who bought this excellent bike had to swap the tank with a bigger one which doesn't have the lock on the cap. But it's a pity that Suzuki used to advertise this adventure bike "specifically designed for the Australian market" and we know that Australia is a huge land so why the small pity gas tank? Anyway, I love the DR650 even so I never owned it but price wise when we compare the bikes we should consider the aftermarket parts that we must buy (like the gas tank) if we want to do adventure. I was wondering why the Royal Enfield Himalayan 400 wasn't mentioned in this review, I believe it fits right in this group. I think that the market needs a bike like the Himalayan 400 or the Suzuki DR650 but with a 500cc engine.
When you don't care that much about the performance off road (it's better than you might expect) and just want a modern bike to travel around and do camping trips, it is perfect. Moderately priced, ABS, space for luggage and enough power to drive with other motorcycles (and not mainly keeping up).
Everyone will have a different opinion, but I was very conscious of it's road bike heritage the moment I went offroad. If anyone wants reasonable off road performance I'd strongly encourage them to get a bike with a 21 inch front wheel and more suspension!
@@crosstrainingadventure im a brand new rider late 50s and am torn between buying this 390 adventure and the klr 650. i would ride probably 80% on road but would like to be able to see a jeep trail and explore it. would probably have to go 50 to 75 miles to get to decent trails. I know about the klr issues and the ktm issues but just cant really decide as my first bike. Ive even thought about maybe buying the versys 650 but that seems like a complete road bike.
I like the bike, having one. What I don't like is vibration on handlebars and when try to stand..handlebar too low. Otherwise its enough for me and love to ride it.
Nice, succinct review that seemed fair to me. I'm an older rider (55), done with big bikes, last being Triumph Tiger Sport 1050 & currently on a V-Strom 650. I did have a sit on the 390 Duke which I'm sure would be a lot of fun but to me far too small & toy like and not at all suitable for touring. And I'm only 5'6". I like the so-called adventure bikes for their ergos & comfort not really for their off-road pretensions but nice to know that a bit of off road would be no problem...
Cheers David. We are aiming to be more critical than most in our reviews but also try to be fair. Most 'reviews' nowadays just seem to read like an ad.
I am the owner of a KTM 390 Adventure which I bought in January 2021 as my very first motorcycle. About four weeks ago, while riding on city streets, I noticed something unusual with the damping motion of the rear suspension and stopped immediately. The rear suspension was leaking fluid badly. I was able to ride back home and took the bike to the KTM dealer for a check. The KTM dealer received my bike on December 7, 2021. A month has passed, and they have no idea at all whether the faulty rear suspension is covered by the warranty and that it must be checked with the KTM factory sometime during mid-January. The bike is not in working condition and it is in their workshop since its breakdown. This is a very disappointing and frustrating situation as I bought this bike mainly because of its alleged quality suspensions and its two-year warranty. Needless to say, KTM has not lived up to my expectations as a newbie in motorcycling.
I hope it turns out okay, Ernesto. KTM claim it's a two year warranty on this model. A lot of riders upgrade the suspension as it is budget level stuff. There are a few aftermarket shocks around.
I think your chart shows perfectly where this bike fits in 👍. I have a 2020 model and it’s perfect for paved back roads and graded gravel or dirt, with the max being some light two rut. I feel too many people are hung up on the “Adventure” name, thinking that some how it has to include certain performance criteria, where as it’s just a marketing name, much the same way the Japanese manufacturers all had a “Scrambler” model in the 1970. And what was that ? Just a way to market a street bike with high pipes 😉.
Cheers Dan'l. I must admit 10 years ago I would have judged this bike quite harshly as I have my definition of adventure riding which is the old school approach. But the reality is 'adventure riding' means so many different things now, and for many riders now that includes mostly bopping along highways with just the occasional smooth dirt road. And of course a whole batch of bikes are being made to meet that market. 😁 Personally I'm not a fan of these street bikes with high pipes!
My mate bought a 390 6 months ago. Ive not seen him since he bought it because it hasnt gone 5kms without breaking down. It took me over a year to sell my 400exc and i didnt bother riding it as being thrown off every 100m is not my idea of fun, ill stick to once every 100kms on my crf.
Damn. What sort of issues on the 390, and which year model? There was a crazy long list of problems with earlier models but most of these appeared to be ironed out by the time they did this adventure model....
@@crosstrainingadventure ive not seen him for a while but there were brakes, charging, wiring, clocks leaking, rotted rubber parts, fuel issue and more.
Just bought one. I notice a little vibration in the foot pegs, but the forward tilt doesn't bother me at all. It benefits tremendously from a tank bag IMO. Helps you hold something with your thighs while standing.
@@kellym3610 I ended up making a leather one due to budget restraints but I will be getting the Tusk bag from Rocky Mountain Motor sports. Seen it, great bag for touring.
I really wish Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki would build a bike like this. 400 cc or less, but with a TFT display and the traction control rider modes and especially cornering ABS. The KTM is a great package, but I am concerned about the reliability.
Looking at a 2022 hold over at a dealer. And here in the states, we get the fully adjustable suspension here. The one at the dealer they are asking $5999. Thats new. For prices lately, im truly temped to snap it up and then switch out the wheels for the new spoked wheels.
this review is a lot different from many others , so yes your right you need to ride it and see if it suits you ,/your riding , which i hope to get the chance later this year , ill let you know how i go and what i think of the 390 . current ride 2014 ktm 500 exc , 2011 250exc 2 banger , and yamaha TW200 . im 62 , cheers Steve/west Australia
Cheers Steve, I hope it was useful. I'm very concerned that most 'reviews' today are just regurgitating the manufacturer's promotional material and not attempting a serious critique. I have heard industry guys repeatedly say that motojournalists avoid serious criticism so they'll have ongoing access to test bikes in future.
I tried one of these in a head to head day of riding a CRF 250 Rally, Royal Enfield Himalayan and BMW G310GS. It was much faster than the other bikes but I seemed to be constantly changing gears. It was definitely more road biased but was ok off road. The CRF was by far the best off road and so much more confidence inspiring. I came away from the day firmly prefering the Beemer to all of them but apparently lots of people prefer the Himalayan for its gearing (which was definitely the best of all the bikes). It's not a bad bike though, great price for what you get, as are all of them, particularly the Himalayan.
Many hope that Honda will creat a CRF450 Rally but without letting it get too heavy... and give it a decent oil capacity to avoid the constant oil changes demanded by the current CRF450L manual.
@@crosstrainingadventure I realise this is completely off KTM 390 Adventure topic, but a CRF 450, now that would be an interesting bike, could be the key to unlocking a proper "Adventure" iteration of the CRF range. I agree though, the CRFs definitely need better oil capacities, however, people do still choose to ride them as proper "Adventure" bikes around the world. I would be too scared of subframe failure due to extra luggage and bloke weight (even a fairly light bloke). In fact, back on topic, I would be afraid of that from all the lightweight, smaller bikes including the 390 for any proper pan continental travel. I also think that the 390 was probably designed specifically for the marketplace of their manufacturing base, hence the somewhat cramped feel for some. Absolutely perfect for riding round New Delhi's Connaught Circus, through the city and onto the Yamuna Expressway to go visit the Taj Mahal but maybe less so for any one of the thousands of single track routes through the Australian bush. Has anyone tried the Chinese built Zontes ZT310-T2? :-D...no, I'm serious...:-)
I would love to see Honda do a proper rally treatment of the CRF450L, Phil! Or for any brand to adventurize their biggest enduro model... sigh. Subframes will always be an issue on the smaller bikes, even the DR650 needs a certain weld reinforced if you want to carry any serious luggage.
I am 188cm tall, 90kg, and looking for my first bike, and this one is on top of mu list at the moment. Would use it for daily commuting and weekend trips to surrounding hills and mountains. Would you suggest looking elsewere, or I could make it work with mods? I also value comfort a lot, and I see most people complain about the seat. Any other suggestions, I would look at any bike up to 650-700cc range?
Unfortunately we never make personal bike recommendations, Luka. We just provide generic advice (see our best lightweight adv bike video) and always recommend a test ride if possible. We all have different perspectives. E.g. I don't care how hard a seat is, as we ride as much dirt road as possible and I'm often standing up.
I'm 6.2 and had a Z1000SX with a seat height of 815mm. The bike was okay for me. Why do you think that bike with a seat height of 855mm is for short riders? I tried this bike today (just seating), and it was completely fine. I didn't feel cramped at all.
This can be affected by body proportions too of course, Chris... e.g. body torso/arms/legs ratio. I felt comfortable sitting on the bike too but once you are actually riding it can change quickly, especially when standing on the footpegs.
@@crosstrainingadventure The term "Adventure" is the greatest bike marketing con for decades. I fully expect to see HOnda bring out a Goldwing Adventure soon. Isn't every bike trip an adventure?
You are still havening the old version of the cb500x in your charts, i recommend you try the 19+ model, because it's really way better than the old one and probably on par offroad with the 390 but way better onroad.
With the bigger front wheel I'm sure the current CB500X is better on the dirt, but I suspect its weight will still make it handful compared to the 390... which still isn't a lightweight bike for a single lol. But yes I'd like to try the more recent Honda.
@@crosstrainingadventure It´s not just the larger front wheel. Suspension and riding position is significantly better too, I had both models and do a lot of offroad. With the old model I would not even do unpaved tracks it really was a plain road bike.
Oregon motorcycle mentioned that 390 is better offroad, better suspension and lighter, though hes taking his cb500x in worse places than many bring their "proper" adv bikes
They should have called it the 390 Touring. I had a 390 Duke and enjoyed it. I wish they'd put that engine in a slightly lighter 690 Enduro style chassis to make a DRZ 400 replacement.
Good point, Bernie. It is more a 'sports tourer' as many of the seriously big bikes are being called. I was expecting an 'adventurized' 450EXC which would have been interesting...
Test rode one, but only in the city, where it was quite fun. I loved the fact that it is VERY smooth for a 390cc single. Position feels very streetish and cramped even for me (1.75m tall or 5'9" in bald eagles). Quality does feel rather cheap, at least in some aspects. For instance, my windscreen rattled like crazy during the test.
@@crosstrainingadventure It was just a test ride so it was complete stock. Risers + lower pegs would help, I imagine, but the overall feeling was very street oriented.
I saw a long term review of an aussie female rider for the 390 Adventure (with a lot of mods). MVDBR Enduro I believe is the channel name. However she is around 1.65m tall and probably a better fit.
I couldn't really add more to what's in this vid and the one about best lightweight adv bikes, Chloe. The 390 is just a converted road bike essentially. The CRF is a true dual sport. Probably depends if you are mainly doing road or dirt roads?
It seems the Asian market for enduro/adv styling might be behind, pushing these smaller bikes. I think some of them have even outlawed older models. It seems like KTM did a great job of building a commuter/light adv bike. Anyone can abuse a bike and then declare it not suitable for the type of riding it wasn't designed for.
I think we are lucky it took quite a while for the adv model to come about. I was reading up about all the issues with earlier 390 models, especially the higher tuned RC models. There were many debates about whether the Indian factory wasn't exercising good quality control, or was KTM just releasing models too soon on an unsuspecting public.
As per other comments, if someone offers us one to ride we will. 😊 But we gave up asking the manufacturers as they never respond... I suspect because they don't like criticial reviews lol.
This bike ain't aimed at serious off road riders at all , it's to get people onto the dirt then eventually upgrade to the 790 Adventure or the other KTM/Husky real dirt bikes. It's more then capable of 90-95% of the stuff most people do on dirt though. On the note about the numbness from the bike, I got new grips and thicker gloves and it did jack all on my Duke 390 but you learn to live with it since it's a thrumper single cylinder and all the more reason to to upgrade to KTM/Husky's bigger CC bikes.
Potentially silly question. Do you 'only' need spoke over cast wheels if you're going to be off roading? Or would I as a 99% on roader, 1% fire trail rider still need/want the spokes?
My fingers really start ta tingl'in when I fall asleep with my hand hang'in over the back a the couch IDK might be a faulty counter balancer OR it's jest me be'in a big single thumper 👍😅
ayup barry it seems more road orientated to me ive always said a enduro bike is more suited to english roads due to the pot holes and state of them bikes like this are ideal
If one became available, Tony? Probably. Unfortunately none of the manufacturers are keen to offer us test bikes to review... we suspect this is because we are quite critical and do the usual glowing 'reviews'. So we only cover bikes when the owner is willing to let us ride them.
Everyone will have a different opinion about this. But I dislike the sustained high revs of any bike under 650cc on the highway. But a lot of riders would say even the DR isn't great for highway... hard seat, no windscreen etc. Others say it's fine though.
This was originally a demo bike set up by KTM, Owen... so the wheels should be available as 'Power Parts' or whatever they call them. The owner said he didn't think they were worthwhile, the rear rim is too wide and you have to fit a huge tyre that isn't needed on such a small bike.
I'm sure some will disagree, but I'd say halfway between a dirt bike and and adventure bike. And I haven't ridden one, that's just looking at the specs.
Good review, thankyou. I am looking for a swiss army knife - a light all roads travel bike. I thought this might be an option. I am in Tasmania. A windy place quite often, so sitting up like a sail in the wind on a light bike is not ideal. I moved from a dr650 to a gs 650 which got me down lower, now I am looking for a lighter option. I am 185cm .
Hey Barry. Mostly agree with your findings. I think this is an OK "bad pavement/easy gravel" bike, but it's probably closer to KTM's GT in its riding position/function than it is the 21-inch-wheeled Adventure models.
Like it but Gonna wait for 490 adv r in spring. I’m 6’1” and my 1190 fits like a glove. Rode a 390 and size felt like a child bicycle. Fun lightweight for sure. Hoping 490 is close to or uses 890 chassis
Some would say remove the gas cap and slide a different bike underneath... 😂 Just the usual. Better rubber. Suspension upgrade. Maybe spoked wheels. But it's still essentially a road bike with adv trimmings.
Traction control Off. Handle bar risers. Larger foot pegs. Fuel programmer from Best duel sport bikes. 48 tooth rear sprocket (bds). Hyperpro Progressive fork springs. Hyperpro rear shock built to your weight and riding style. Total game changer.
Regardless of your review, which was honest to goodness. As a 390 owner, I am chuffed that it piqued your interest enough to do a review in the first place!
@@crosstrainingadventure Hi yes I am, I find it quite capable off road and I am still running the stock tires TK 70's. Fuel range is insanely good also. Replaced crappy bash plate, put crash bars on it and various racks. Touch wood I haven't had any mechanical or other issues with it yet and I love the service intervals! Compared to my old 350 it is quite cumbersome and heavy but its horses for courses eh!
Man I really want to trade in my 2019 dr200 towards one of these. I love the Suzuki, but it’s lack luster in so many areas. Or maybe just keep it and try to get one of these as well.
A few years back I tried contacting the local dealer and national distributor several times to do a review but never heard back... so I figured they weren't interested in selling them lol.
@@crosstrainingadventure Thanks for the offer! 😜 I am saving up rather for one. If doable, I will ship it for review. 🤭 Let me tell you that this model has risen to be one most capable bikes in the country. The engine performance is not earth shattering but every thing else: net mass, ground clearance, suspension, spoked wheels with 21/18 inches, etc suits it for the off road as well commuting duties, with touring if one is willing to make some sacrifices. Plus it can also be retrofitted with a rally kit from the OEM: ua-cam.com/video/1K9Q47Rd2sY/v-deo.html The parts are cheap and the service intervals are long and very economical. There is room for improvement though (a power and torque bump with better seats without going past 160 KG), that it might just be the unicorn bike I keep hearing about in UA-cam.
I ride mine in the mountains of Colorado on and off road. Now simply put, this bike will go where any BWM GS and it's rider would fear to tread. In fact you never see a GS on any of the trails I ride, they are just too rocky, steep and narrow for any large Adventure bike to be taken. Now I do have extensive off road experience riding every type of dirt bike there is and this is a great advantage. But almost all reviewers have little real off road experience as you'll notice they rarely test on anything but mild two-track roads - they just lack any real experience and it shows. Is this a dirt bike... no but it's not supposed to be. But at less than 400lbs and with it's excellent suspension and geometry, it will just about handle anything I can throw at it. Yes I put a better skid plate on it and yes I've hit it hard a few times, but I take all bikes to their limit just to know what to expect. You just have to slow down a bit on the rough stuff and pick your way around larger rocks. If you like blasting down single track, forget any adventure bike and get a true street legal Enduro.
I agree, Bill. An experienced rider will get the 390 through some quite gnarly terrain. I've done the same with my DR650 by trying to ride some of our hard enduro tracks. But I'm very aware that there's a huge number of guys in their 50s and older who are getting into adventure riding for the first time. Some have no riding experience, some are just former road riders. So if they plan on getting into 'adventurous' terrain, I'd still steer them toward lighter 250 dual sports and they can upgrade later as their skills develop. 😁
@@crosstrainingadventure I do realize many look to this bike as their first bike although I really dont think it is marketed that way. Mostly I hear that comment out of those that choose the large adventure bikes and then since this bike is smaller call it an entry level bike. That is far from the truth. Large adventure bikes do their best to toss you to the ground when the going gets tough. They will wear you out very quickly off road. They make great travel bikes but their shear weight, and high center of gravity make them unwieldy in the rough stuff. These newer downsized "adventure bikes" seem to be chosen by those dirt oriented riders that appreciate shorter lighter bikes you can ride longer distances just to get to your off road destination. I really think when reviewing bikes it must be done with the manufacturers intent in mind and who might benefit from this bike. That means it must be tested in mild to extreme terrain and by a rider experienced in all types of bikes and with a lot of experience in all kind of terrain. I appreciate you taking the time to create these reviews.
Glad you are enjoying the reviews, Bill. I know my personal biases sneak in, but I always encourage viewers to check as many reviews as possible for a balanced perspective.
It is a shame they didn't make it lighter. As per the vid, I didn't really notice the weight as it's quite low and I'm very tall. But short riders will just find it that bit hard to balance at a standstill... a wet weight similar to a DRZ400 would have been great.
I own the cuter version known as the Husqvarna Svartpilen, supposedly and "Enduro" bike, however based on the scientifically scale of measurement found in this video, I find it to be more of a street hooligan than off-roader. Still lots of fun as an urban runabout!
It is one weird looking bike to me, Shawn! It's another bike made in India and seems to target the scrambler market? In Australia it seems to have the usual price markup simply because it's a Husqvarna. For the money, I'd rather buy a Japanese model but that's just me.... It sounds as though you are enjoying it though?
@@crosstrainingadventure Funny enough it's actually made in Austria! Living in the US we have a limited market which is terrible because your channel is the reason I'm now biking off road. Keep the vids coming!
My understanding was they were intially made in Austria but then swung over to the Bajas factory in India in late 2018. www.carandbike.com/news/husqvarna-vitpilen-401-svartpilen-401-will-be-made-in-india-10-things-to-know-1720055
@@crosstrainingadventure Very interesting... I bought a 2021 Royal Enfield last month and clocked about 3200km so far, the Husky is about 3 years old. Given what I've seen as a mechanic, India's quality control and assembly has improved significantly in the last 5 years. I want to log about 10,000kms on each before giving a more in depth review.
Yo tengo una y va bien en tierra si vas a ritmo de paseo. De hecho, no es necesario ir de pie, a no ser que esté el terreno muy roto. Sentado se domina uy bien el tren trasero y se puede dirigir bien la rueda trasera con las piernas y los pies. Gracias por la review!
@@crosstrainingadventure True my apologies but is more accurate to compare this bike with their closest competitors in the segment of small adventure bikes such the Versys and G310. Hence is wrong to call the KTM a heavy bike...have a look at the charts you brought at 5:05 ktm 172 Kawa 176 G310 169.5 All pretty similar I am just saying, this bike is not heavy at all since is an adventure one....cheers
That's true, if you assess the 390 specifically against other road-oriented adventure bikes with 19 inch front wheels and less suspension travel etc then it is lighter.
@@crosstrainingadventure Out of curiosity, which other Adventure motorcycle , less than 500 cc, comes with a larger front wheel than 19 inches? I know many dual sport but that is another segment Anyone that believes that a ''ready to race'' made in India will be on a level of the classic Austrian dual sport bike is no less than a sheeple. The ktm 390 adv has anything but ugly at dry weight 158 kilo, unless one hates the orange color😁...likely the set up of a quality chain, more confy seat, proper foot pegs for the nasty roads, some spoke tubeless wheels (19') and a skid to protect the engine and more (all which can be bought at ktm or eom...) this little ktm is pretty cool...for less than 7k
Not for me. I'll take a DRZ over it every time. I was expecting a through thrashing of the bike by you due to past ktm comments. Not a single smartass comment in the vid. Ha!
Everyone knows I'm not a fan of KTMs but when it comes to actual reviews I try to be 100% objective. 😂 But man, it was so tempting to list all the issues with the earlier 390 Duke models in the earlier years, it would have been like watching a disaster movie lol. And of course I hate road-oriented adventure bikes so I had to really haul the brakes on there too.
What would be brilliant is if they adventurized the 450EXC instead. Detune it for reliability, lowered, cush drive hub, comfy seat, windscreen, bigger oil capacity. It's what many are calling for but we aren't seeing it.
@@crosstrainingadventure Hi Barry, we're all hanging out for you to get you your hands on a SWM500R! Maybe that is the unicorn bike??? Going by your review/s on the SWM300 then it looks promising.
For me, that close ratio gearbox would be a killer, Andrew. It was annoying on the 300, to me it would be unbearable on the 500. I don't know why they never changed to wider ratios. SWM could potentially make a killing on the 500 model if they adventurised it a bit. Wide ratios, cush drive hub, comfy seat, a little rally windscreen!
Just sitring here watching the channel and a bunch of vedio's and wanted to thank yall. In a world where everything is hyper political, even almost everything on youtube, you guys, everide and a few othere manahe tocnot be insane, or insane in a hyper political way. I nust want to thank you guys for producing good vids so we can escape all the BS. Pretty good even for a narion of convicts that make to much fun of Harley riders. Thanks guys.
Thanks Chris. Yeah it's weird how so many riders are now making political statements even in these UA-cam comments lol. I really can't see the point of political or religious discussions as 99% of people just want to convince others to join their 'correct' way of thinking lol. And start yelling when they can't convince them. Sigh.
@@kylejscheffler I own one and live in a forrest (500m gravel to my mailbox). Just want to know how the adventure compares. Svartpilen should be an Adventure with better tires.
Svartpilen 401 is just a KTM Duke 390 dressed in Hipster Cafe Racer clothes compared to the 390 Adventure which is dressed in Weekend Warrior camp ware.
Isn’t the point of any review of a bike to really simply compare it to other bikes in the same price range and class ? If that’s the case and I do think it is then what can you even compare to this bike ? I know I can’t find anything. Not that has the features this has. Not even close.
@@crosstrainingadventure no adjustable suspension , none of the electronics and riding modes etc , I could keep going. The bmw is the closest the Kawasaki is not at all.
If rarely doing any rough terrain, it could well be, Matt. But that 21 inch front wheel and longer suspension on the Honda will make it much more stable in the dirt.
I think the problem is that if you put good riders on any bike they can make the bike seem incredible. Pol Tarres is curently racing a Yamaha T7 at the Romaniacs hard enduro. My concern is that we everyday riders will think these bikes can be ridden like that offroad and we'll just hurt ourselves lol. Look at the crazy stuff Toni Bou is doing on the Africa Twin. 99.9% of riders will end up in hospital attemping the same. The 390 is definitely just a road bike with a few adv trimmings.
@@crosstrainingadventure , I agree ☝️ that the top 10% ( or less ) of riders make it look easy or a Big ADV bike . But Nat on her 390 is no Toby Price either, don’t get me wrong she quit a good female rider and the main reason Josh brought his T7 and Nat the 390 is so they could go on long ADV trips away which they have done ✅ on many occasions. But they seem to prefer riding them through single track then Nats KTM 300 and Josh KTM 500 ( I don’t get that ) But I think 🤔 because it’s more of a challenge, and I do think from the way her bike has been ridden over the last year with at least 80% off road - and ALOT of that SNOTTY the bike has held up very well ( she had the wire wheels fitted to hers ) I actually disagree that it’s mainly a street bike ( I would have agreed before I she what she has done with it ) and as I said she is no Toby Price , but will give credit we’re credit is due a very good 👍 rider.
I figure it will always be 80% the rider and 20% the bike so anyone with a reasonable amount of skill could take the 390 down some single track for sure. But that small front wheel, lack of suspension travel, poor ground clearance, road oriented ergos etc will make it tougher, that's all. I've taken my DR650 on some hard enduro tracks fairly successfully but I won't be calling it a dirt bike any time soon. 😊
@@crosstrainingadventure Agee , iv taken my XT 660 , SWM 650 Superdual ( 21/18 wheels ) on some pretty snotty trails as well - it’s hard work especially picking it up of pushing it up stuff etc . If I’m picking or pushing ( not happy or enjoying myself - I don’t like exercise 😂😂😂😂 . 30 years in the Army cured me from that 👍. ) anyway she loves it and has given her countless hours of enjoyment. I really enjoy your vids mate .I reckon your riding over 50 is GOLD . I’m 53 . Great 👍 content. Also enjoyed your helmet ⛑ safety ratings one as well .
Glad you are enjoying the Superdual! I almost bought one but the extra weight over the DR650 was a bit too much. I would have loved the earlier SWM RS650R which was much lighter than the DR650....
Good video man but I think you completely missed the point of the bike. Don't get me wrong it too me a while too. It's a bike meant for WOMEN and not any kind, first timers most likely . If you try to put yourself on that perspective you'll see that everything makes a lot more sense now
I disagree, Oscar. If that was KTM's intention then they'd have marketed it that way. And I think all the positive comments from male owners in these comments show that it's not a gender-specific bike. Apart from the fact the women riders I hang with can outride most guys too. 😁 But otherwise... yes, aggressive or gnarly adventure riders won't like this road-oriented bike.
@@crosstrainingadventure I'm going to ask it differently. If your daughter wanted an adventure bike, wouldn't this one a really solid candidate due to its low height, not hard enduro oriented and extra safety tech features (absent in the segment for the price)?
I think it's one of various possibilties, Oscar. If she was quite new to the sport I'd be more inclined toward the 250s and 300 models. While the 390 feels like a small light bike to experienced riders, it could still be a handful for beginners. I think the Japanese dual sport bikes would be a great start.
what the hell you call a short rider? This KTM isnt suitable for riders shorter than 5'8 with limited riding experience. 855 mm high seat for short riders? from where?
As the review says, it's looking at the good, the bad and ugly, Anthony. We do this with all our reviews instead of the usual "Ain't this an amazing bike?!" routine of most social media influencers. Our favourite bike is the DR650 but we spent an entire vid cataloguing all the bad points.
@@crosstrainingadventure idk if I was in your position I would use it to get people excited about motorcycling. This is an entry level bike not a bmw tourer/adventure. Very pessimistic
If viewers want glowing reviews they'll find them on almost every other channel. I suspect you'll want the same reviews if you think my reviews are pessimistic.😂 Regular viewers know I look for the good and bad.
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The 390 adv was my first bike. I’m still loving it. 6,000 miles with no issues. Great for commuting or hitting the local logging roads.
Great to hear Kelly! As mentioned in the vid, there were multiple issues with the early 390s so it's good they ironed out most, if not all, problems by the time they made the adventure model.
Curious about your current bike😉
Over 10.000 Km on mine and no issues, and do a lot of dirt, grave and farm trails, Put the Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires and they handle every thing I have tried and last a long time.
A few viewers think I am too critical of the 390 as an adventure bike... especially viewers from India who are patriotic about it being built in India. It's very tricky trying to give an objective overview on any adventure bike as the definition of 'adventure' is so elastic nowadays. My background has always been 'adventure bikes' with 21 inch front wheels and a decent amount of suspension, so any bike with a 19 inch front and shorter adventurized road suspension feels very awkward on rougher dirt roads. So my review is just trying to warn people not to expect too much offroad performance from the 390... while it will be a real hoot to ride on twisty mountain roads of course. This is definitely a road bike which has been 'adventurized'. That will suit many riders perfectly! Others will find the offroad performance disappointing.
Perfect description. I'm thrilled with mine but I am not an Enduro rider. I am a street commuter with weekend dirt ambitions, perfect fit for me.
The Aussie version of the 390 Adventure has been gimped since it doesn't come with stock engine cage nor engine cover that's any good (need to buy them from KTM as add on). It's weird since we have so much good bush to ride these things on. On a better note, It DOES come with Quickshift+ and Cornering ABS as stock which is not a thing even possible on the Duke 390 in Oz (comes standard with QuickShift+ in India) as I've called around to get the software upgrade for my Duke 390 2021 but it's not allowed. I guess the nanny state doesn't want Duke 390's in Aus to be hooning around the streets with Quickshift+ as standard (weird as it's on the Husky 401's)
But honestly you can't beat the price for the 390 Adventure considering how much extra stuff you get compared to others in the beginner off road class at the price point they are aiming at (around $9k-11k) like full LCD, Cornering ABS and QuickShift+ just to name a few. The more videos I see of the 390 Adventure the more I regret getting just the normal Duke 390 (Didn't know the dif at time of purchase) since converting the Duke into a Adventure would cost around $4-6k alone with stock parts.
I thought it was an honest first impression. Back when I was younger adventure bikes were in their infancy and expensive. We used to put 21 inch front wheels, nobbies, strip the bikes, grab some beers and go dick around in the dirt!
Great synopsis and description love your work!
true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Love my 390. I think it's a very underrated bike. With a few mods it is easily capable of more than just the standard gravel road. I ride it mostly offroad and highway in Vic High Country. And have certainly pushed beyond my skill (new to offroad riding). Great bike. Lots of fun. 👍
Have you still got the 390 mate
@@frankensteinsgarage9632 yes, sure do 👍
I have one and love it. It's a great adventure bike as long as its ridden within its limitations. Perfect for throwing camping gear on and exploring forest roads and jeep trails.
Thanks Aaron, always great to hear the vids are useful... and that you are enjoying the 390!
I love my 390 Adv. My first motorcycle. Great bike on which to learn. That said, I'm selling her today because I got a Ducati Multistrada V4S, and the 390 won't see much use other than when the V4S is being serviced, and she deserves a home where she'll still be ridden more. She was perfect to learn on, and has served me well. If anything, I think she sits a bit tall, and I'm 5'11". Tip-toes to have both feet down at a stop on level ground. The KTM PowerParts seat makes things a bit more comfortable. 99.999% of my 3100 miles of use was on the street. She strains a little going above 75mph on the expressway, but so does a Geo Metro. Below that, she's quite capable, and has decent pickup for 43hp. Considering I literally bought her as a relatively inexpensive option to learn on, and make sure I would enjoy riding at all (I'm addicted!), she has more than done me well. Pair her with a Garmin Zumo XT GPS, and she's just brilliant. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the 390 Adv, especially as an entry-level bike for someone starting out, although she's certainly not limited to that.
I figure any bike that gets you into the sport, and addicted, must be a good bike Mark!
Wow, that's quite a step up from the 390 ADV to the V4S. What made you decide to go that big rather than a V2S or Maybe even a KTM 790 or BMW 750 or 850 GS? Did you ride many others or just go straight to the V4S? I've been riding a few years and now that I'm more comfortable riding, I'm thinking about getting something larger, but I was thinking about going into the 390 ADV. Now I'm wondering if that might be a mistake since you seemed to outgrow it so quickly. Appreciate your thoughts.
@@ontheway4034 I fell in love with the looks (I have a classy Aviator Grey 2021 model). I went home, looked at the feature set, saw the heated grips, heated seat, adaptive cruise control, different riding modes...just a huge feature set, and I couldn't get her quickly enough. :) Love at first sight, but went for the specs. The 170hp definitely gives you GFTO Mode[tm] when things get hairy around idiot drivers, too.
My son got one back in February. 10k km now. He seems to like it a lot! I have ridden it a little, and I like it too! All of a sudden, fun was had at 10/10 devil horn level😆 I think the video is pretty accurate when it comes to shortcomings and plus sides. It is a little buzzy on the highway, but not really a problem with the added weight of bark busters. Double take mirrors and the factory aftermarket bashplate is also good to have. It is a small frame bike, meaning it accommodates shorter riders. I know several that see their confidence level rise significantly on this bike! The seat is not an issue as far as(s) I can tell. The only thing that disappointed me, was the short life of the chain and the unrefined quick shifter. Getting a quality upgraded chain now. The TKC70's tell a lot about the focus of this bike. Touring on road, with some off road capabilities. It is really fun to ride!
Don't even have to look as far as the tires. A look at the stock wheel is also quite telling. But for someone just getting into adventure bikes this would be brilliant. I for one would have loved this when I first started riding
That's very interesting about the chain, Pal. Do you know what brand it was? And very interesting to hear bark busters settled down the vibrations...
It's good we have level of variety of adv bikes available now. I'll always go for the dirt oriented models but I'm sure many will appreciated the road oriented ones.
@@crosstrainingadventure KTM uses CZ chains as far as I know. They tend to stretch out pretty quickly in the first few thousand kilometres
@Mr G DunningAgreed. The whole point of this bike is to get one bike as cheap as possible, to do as much as possible as good as possible in the budget. It hits a sweet spot for a lot of people.
I felt it was a very honest and accurate review. I own a 390A with just over 6000 miles on it. I love it for what it is....a bike that's super fun on backcountry tarmac which is also very comfortable on any double track dirt road one might encounter along the way. Can it do more? Of course but you may need to slow down and be more judicious with your line choice. I also own a Honda crf300l which I find to be a great companion bike. If my day consists mainly dirt Ill take the 300 but If it a good mix or I'm traveling farther I'll take the 390. I love them both.
Good choice of small bikes to cover the spectrum there, Miguel. A cheap selection too! Both those bikes still cost less than a KTM 890, Triumph 900 or BMW850. 👍😊
I’ve owned the 390 adventure for 3 months. If you use it for what I think it’s intended purpose is then it’s really good.
I mostly commute with it, I did just take it on a 1400 mile trip down the coast. It did just fine at the hwy speeds and was plenty of fun in the corners. I occasionally hit some dirt/gravel roads with it and it does very well in those situations. It’s not a dirtbike by any stretch, but I didn’t buy it to be. The seat is uncomfortable on long trips (padded shorts help quite a bit), the bars are too low stock and the pegs are weird to stand on. It can all be changed and isn’t really anything different than stuff that gets changed on most other bikes.
Good summary, Jason. I reckon bar risers, footpegs and a padded seat will be the key mods for most riders.
Intended purpose is the key word, so many riders often forget about those two words cheers 🏍️
@@crosstrainingadventure I'm 1,75 tall and I feel that with the standard seat I have to stretch just a little my legs to touch the ground with my feet.
But the bike isn't suitable for taller bikers then you install a taller seat, something is wrong here so just leave the bike as is.
Someone suggested padded pants and that would be a solution.
Just I wonder why KTM installed that off road like hard seat?
I have done many gnarly roads on mine with huge pot holes and deep ruts and have not had a problem with them and also some tractor tracks with grass 2' deep in the center. Did upgrade the bash plate and hand guards to better KTM ones. I also went with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires form new.
Just pickup 2022 390 adv. Changed the oil & filters 114 miles. Lots of metal. I recommend early change due to what I found. Ergo, the seat is like sitting on a boulder.
Bar riser is the first mod I did, much better now.
Clutch cable for the riser I went to a Himalayan cable. It is about 2" longer and works well.
Have 160 miles on it now and it is an awesome bike.
Oh, I recommend grip puppys for the vibration.
Over all I give it a score of " 8.8 out of 10 ".
Not perfect but not bad for the money.
That's usually been my experience too, Tom... quite a few metal shavings on that first oil change.
My 390 adv keeps on rockin up until now. I made a lot mods on my bike and i really enjoy it. Doing a lot offroading here in the philippines. I luv ur honest review
I own a 390 ADV and I have put close to 3000 miles on it so far. Your review is solid except for the bit about the stock skid plate. It is actually two pieces, thin metal and plastic that leaves quite a lot of the exhaust exposed. The rest is spot on. I like that you point out that it is "a ball of fun" on twisty roads. Bikes are always on a spectrum and nothing does everything well so I like your diagram and agree with its placement. I do a fair bit of dirt, gravel, double and single track and the point about the weight and lack of ground clearance is also fair. The brakes are okay but not as strong as they really need to be. The suspension is adjustable and very linear, it does okay except when you really push it. I replaced the stock two-piece saddle with the KTM power-part rally seat. It is taller, more comfortable and allows for easier movement. I installed Black Dog foot pegs, bar risers, bark busters and an AXP skid plate. These upgrades have solved pretty much all of the bikes fitment/protection issues and at the price you don't have to spend a lot to get a lot out of this bike.
To clarify this is the US version so...
Great to hear you are enjoying it, Aaron. I wonder if we get a different skidplate? I'm sure the owner said it was stock?
I have the KTM 390 Adventure and am loving it. Had the Versys 300X and hands down will take the KTM over the versys, Better on the paved roads and better off road. I getting over 400 Km per tank of gas, did up grade the bash plate and hand guards to better KTM ones. and went with Dunlop TrailMax Mission tires. also have GIVI 33/46 liter hard bags on it and fully loaded still get 3.2 liters per 100 Km, We have some pretty Gnarly dirt roads hear and it handles them all, as well as some off road. I have done 400 Km non stop and find the seat just fine. and have no problem standing on the pegs. If you want to ring its neck it will get up and go, but that is not my stile of riding, and I do off road at a slower pace, never racing over or through things, and that is what this bike is meant for, if you want to race get a duel sport. I find it odd that people keep saying the Royal Enfield Himalayan is great of road and the KTM is only OK but when you put them back to back the KTM dose much better than the Himalayan so do not know what is up there. Even with the tires I have on I have not found any thing that I could not get through with ease. I have also watch the KTM 390 go quit fast over very rocky single track and the rims were not damaged, so again not sure what they are talking about, just put the wright tires on and no need to air down, Sure it is not a Duel Sport but it is not clamming to be, and I will take it where most will not take there large ADV bikes. I also have a DR650 with a 20 liter gas tank and it to is a great all round bike, Bough have there purpose and bough put a huge smile on my face every time I take them out. Do not under estimate the KTM for off road use, the ground clearance is less than some but the stiffer suspension makes up for it. Put a better bash plate on it and let her sing.
3.2 liters per 100 Km? Wow. The DR650 is usually only about 5....
@@crosstrainingadventure 3.2 liters per hundred is on the KTM 390 Adventure. not the DR650 the DR650 is most likely around 5 but never tested it much to give a true average. I have got 2.8 on the KTM but that was taking it easy just to see how much I could get. average is 3.2
I've got one and as a new rider (12 months) I really enjoy it. Many of the comments you make are accurate. The people that think less of the bike because of the cast wheels and low ground clearance I believe are missing the point. This bike is not designed to compete with the big dirt focused adv bikes. I compare it to the CB500x. It's a cheap, fun bike that can do light off-road and gravel trails. For the money (I got mine for $8500 on the road) I don't think it can be beat. I too struggled with vibrations but found removing the pre-muffler (verex Tasmania sell a kit) made them basically disappear. It sounds much better now too!
In my inexperienced opinion, this bike is an excellent buy if you use it for what it designed to do. It is not a 790 adv, but it is heaps of fun.
Very good comparison, I've owned the CB500X and think it's exactly the same part of the market. My main concern is someone might see all the KTM promo pics of guys riding the 390 aggressively in the dirt and then think they'll be able to do this too... it really is just a road bike with a few adv trimmings.
Could you post a link to that kit? I’m struggling with the vibration on mine on longer rides
Was that $8500 in Australia?
@@pauldavies5541 yep, from Marriotts in Leongatha, ex demo
Had mine for 8 months - it’s a great first bike that lets you explore gravel roads and mild off road but it’s not a dirt bike (not that it’s suppose to one) . No complaints from me
Great to hear, Brandon! The owner of this 390 in the vid was expecting it to be more dirtworthy so will probably opt for something with a 21 inch front wheel next...
I think this is a spot on review. First oil change is scary. Lots of bits in the screens. Like left over gasket material or something. Nothing hard. But worth noting.
I hate that first oil change, Paul! Are there too many flecks? Is my bike falling apart?!
@@crosstrainingadventure I mean there were a lot of bits stuck to those filter screens. I've never seen that in a first oil change before. Not on the 790 for sure. Have pics. Check advmatts channel and his first oil change. Mine was a little worse than his.
@@crosstrainingadventure ua-cam.com/video/SrrrEwSCY_k/v-deo.html
@@Mightycaptain That is why you do the first oil change. Nothing to worry I guess.
It's made in India and that means low wages and a lot of curry in the engine!
I watched the service video and I can tell these little things attached to the oil filters are machining and gaskets dust so that means they assembled the engine without first cleaning carefully all parts.
Outstanding review and wise opinions all across the board! Wouldn't have said it better, and I am pretty vocal about these kind of subjects =)
Keep up the good work... I've been following it for years! (You guys used to be with the "Awesome players", right?)
Glad you enjoyed the vid! For better or worse, we aren't the 'awesome players'... haven't heard of them before.
@@crosstrainingadventure you just blew my mind... Well, if you are not them, good job following the same lines!
Brilliant minds think alike, they say :D
I think they are australians as well.
Cheers and keep it up. Im a big fan
Just had a look, they are definitely north Americans! If they sound slightly Aussie, they might regional Canadians as there are lots of Canadian accents with a strong UK influence... like us. 😁
@@crosstrainingadventure i cover myself in shame... I was so certain they were aussies...heck, i was 99% sure you were the same group of people, which is even weirder!
Oh well... ^^ keep it up
I cover myself in shame regularly. The only way I can pick a difference between Canadians and Americans is the pronunciation of 'house'. 😂
This bike is a lot of fun on gravel and bitumen. It's not for getting big air but will go almost anywhere. For bigger rides I use my 790, but the 390 is great for doing silly things. My son and wife are also starting to ride it. Things I don't like - soft nuts and bolts, clutch lever perch needs to slide of the bar to be replaced meaning removing (heated) grip and bark busters, I have removed the low screen as I was getting buffeted about the head. Good $ value. Can often ride rings around bigger expensive adventure bikes.
I own a KTM 390 adventure that I have ridden about 2000 miles. I find the review to be fair. I find the if you keep revs at 4-5000 or 30 to 60 mph vibration is minimal. Above or below, vibration is more severe. I find the seat reasonably comfortable. The built-in turn by turn navigation works great and is a big plus fir me. I ride paved and dirt roads, maximum offroad capability is not a requirement for me.
Great to hear it's working out for you, Thomas. I suspect the only disappointed riders would be those who thought it would be better offroad, or they are too tall for the bike.
Fantastic "review" with strait to the point and useful information as well as an even better comparison chart! Simply amazing and just the proper way to go! Congrats!
Glad it was helpful!
Pretty accurate review. I found the handle bar vibes virtually disappeared once the offset risers were installed. In comparison to it its main competition I would say its OEM suspension adjustment (rebound and compression on forks and pre load and rebound on shock), lean sensitive ABS is outstanding - some of the main reasons I chose the 390 over the GS310 / CBX500 / Versys300 etc.
I noticed some comments about the chain here and have seen a few on the forums. Perhaps it's riding style, quite variable quality control? (or just maintenance), but I have about 8500km on the bike and only one minor adjustment on the chain
Another thing that you might find curious, according to the VIN numbers on the bikes (at least it seems so here in Oz), the bikes are manufactured in Austria.
Good points, Brian. Yes there don't seem to be enough comments to definitely say there are issues with the chain. That is weird about the VIN, all of KTM's press releases have said the bike is definitely made in India. 🤔
Love my 2021 390 adventure. Dirt roads, bush, twisties and some single tracks. Bar risers, knobby tyres, gel pad in seat and its a nice bike for the price. Good bike for starters to get the taste and feel for adventure riding.
Great to hear, Marty! It's a good compromise design for a mix of road and adventure at a sweet price too...
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I'm kind of regret getting the Duke 390 instead of the 390 Adventure, main issue is the Aussie Duke 390 doesn't have QuickShift+ as standard like the Indian models or 390 Adventure has.
Now, the big question: how does it compare to the mighty DR650 in terms of long distance adventure riding? I love my 96 DR, done the mods, ride it everywhere and in my mind it’s always been the bike that I’ll take round the world in a couple of years. However, the 390 Adv seems like a great package with its modern chassis, fuel economy, ABS brakes and better touring comfort. It just seems so much nicer to live with when you’re mainly riding pavement and bad roads traveling from A to B. What do you think?
Impossible to say. What are the criteria? And how tall or short is the rider? Completely stock DR or with the usual mods?
So how do I decide between the 390 Adventure, CRF 300 Rally and DR 650? I'm an intermediate rider, 58 years old small in stature 5'7" 140 lbs, 32 inch inseam. I rode a lot off road in my younger years but nothing in the last 40 years. I plan on riding about 50% pavement, 40% twin track and 10% single. Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.
The only real way to know for sure is a decent test ride on each.
A very important information is missing, it's the high endurance with one full tank.
I think that no other bike can compare with the 390 adv and the manufacturer made a good marketing choice.
You can't compare this bike with the Suzuki dr650 because it has a much bigger engine, it doesn't have electronic, it has a pity small gas tank and even without cap's lock!
The BMW one has a less powerful engine also I hate the brand because they "lure" you into warranty and service programs that equal to your salary goes to BMW for your entire life!
The first thing that I appreciated in the 390 adv is its weight located quite low so the bike is very stable.
If we go strictly by engine capacity then the 390 should only be compared to other bikes like the DRZ400, Bill. But there are many riders interested in bikes under 170kg so we do tend to group all the relevant bikes together and do comparisons. It's just a shame there aren't more options around 400cc. Out of interest, all the DR650s sold in Australia have fuel cap locks, is this different in other countries?
@@crosstrainingadventure I don't disagree with the idea of comparing these "very" different bikes so I just expressed my thoughts.
It was good also because I could compare key features for each bike.
Regarding the DR650, yes you're right, my bad, the stock tank has the cap with the lock.
I was confused because people who bought this excellent bike had to swap the tank with a bigger one which doesn't have the lock on the cap.
But it's a pity that Suzuki used to advertise this adventure bike "specifically designed for the Australian market" and we know that Australia is a huge land so why the small pity gas tank?
Anyway, I love the DR650 even so I never owned it but price wise when we compare the bikes we should consider the aftermarket parts that we must buy (like the gas tank) if we want to do adventure.
I was wondering why the Royal Enfield Himalayan 400 wasn't mentioned in this review, I believe it fits right in this group.
I think that the market needs a bike like the Himalayan 400 or the Suzuki DR650 but with a 500cc engine.
Yes, any ads for the DR650 always make for good entertainment lol.
When you don't care that much about the performance off road (it's better than you might expect) and just want a modern bike to travel around and do camping trips, it is perfect.
Moderately priced, ABS, space for luggage and enough power to drive with other motorcycles (and not mainly keeping up).
Everyone will have a different opinion, but I was very conscious of it's road bike heritage the moment I went offroad. If anyone wants reasonable off road performance I'd strongly encourage them to get a bike with a 21 inch front wheel and more suspension!
@@crosstrainingadventure im a brand new rider late 50s and am torn between buying this 390 adventure and the klr 650. i would ride probably 80% on road but would like to be able to see a jeep trail and explore it. would probably have to go 50 to 75 miles to get to decent trails. I know about the klr issues and the ktm issues but just cant really decide as my first bike. Ive even thought about maybe buying the versys 650 but that seems like a complete road bike.
I like the bike, having one. What I don't like is vibration on handlebars and when try to stand..handlebar too low. Otherwise its enough for me and love to ride it.
If you look through the comments a few guys have mentioned that fitting risers seems to reduce or stop the vibrations.
Nice, succinct review that seemed fair to me. I'm an older rider (55), done with big bikes, last being Triumph Tiger Sport 1050 & currently on a V-Strom 650. I did have a sit on the 390 Duke which I'm sure would be a lot of fun but to me far too small & toy like and not at all suitable for touring. And I'm only 5'6". I like the so-called adventure bikes for their ergos & comfort not really for their off-road pretensions but nice to know that a bit of off road would be no problem...
Cheers David. We are aiming to be more critical than most in our reviews but also try to be fair. Most 'reviews' nowadays just seem to read like an ad.
I am the owner of a KTM 390 Adventure which I bought in January 2021 as my very first motorcycle.
About four weeks ago, while riding on city streets, I noticed something unusual with the damping motion of the rear suspension and stopped immediately. The rear suspension was leaking fluid badly. I was able to ride back home and took the bike to the KTM dealer for a check. The KTM dealer received my bike on December 7, 2021. A month has passed, and they have no idea at all whether the faulty rear suspension is covered by the warranty and that it must be checked with the KTM factory sometime during mid-January. The bike is not in working condition and it is in their workshop since its breakdown.
This is a very disappointing and frustrating situation as I bought this bike mainly because of its alleged quality suspensions and its two-year warranty. Needless to say, KTM has not lived up to my expectations as a newbie in motorcycling.
I hope it turns out okay, Ernesto. KTM claim it's a two year warranty on this model. A lot of riders upgrade the suspension as it is budget level stuff. There are a few aftermarket shocks around.
I think your chart shows perfectly where this bike fits in 👍. I have a 2020 model and it’s perfect for paved back roads and graded gravel or dirt, with the max being some light two rut. I feel too many people are hung up on the “Adventure” name, thinking that some how it has to include certain performance criteria, where as it’s just a marketing name, much the same way the Japanese manufacturers all had a “Scrambler” model in the 1970. And what was that ? Just a way to market a street bike with high pipes 😉.
Cheers Dan'l. I must admit 10 years ago I would have judged this bike quite harshly as I have my definition of adventure riding which is the old school approach. But the reality is 'adventure riding' means so many different things now, and for many riders now that includes mostly bopping along highways with just the occasional smooth dirt road. And of course a whole batch of bikes are being made to meet that market. 😁 Personally I'm not a fan of these street bikes with high pipes!
Looking forward to the new version coming out. I get unicorn vibes from the spy shots.
My mate bought a 390 6 months ago. Ive not seen him since he bought it because it hasnt gone 5kms without breaking down.
It took me over a year to sell my 400exc and i didnt bother riding it as being thrown off every 100m is not my idea of fun, ill stick to once every 100kms on my crf.
Damn. What sort of issues on the 390, and which year model? There was a crazy long list of problems with earlier models but most of these appeared to be ironed out by the time they did this adventure model....
@@crosstrainingadventure ive not seen him for a while but there were brakes, charging, wiring, clocks leaking, rotted rubber parts, fuel issue and more.
Just bought one. I notice a little vibration in the foot pegs, but the forward tilt doesn't bother me at all. It benefits tremendously from a tank bag IMO. Helps you hold something with your thighs while standing.
I’d like to try this on mine, what tank bag do you use?
@@kellym3610 I ended up making a leather one due to budget restraints but I will be getting the Tusk bag from Rocky Mountain Motor sports. Seen it, great bag for touring.
@@richardscott982 they are really close to
Me, I’ll look into it and may just go pick it up. Thanks.
@@kellym3610 they sponsor Everide on UA-cam, and have their own excellent video guide series. Their route of Red rocks to Mountain tops is on my list.
I really wish Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki would build a bike like this. 400 cc or less, but with a TFT display and the traction control rider modes and especially cornering ABS. The KTM is a great package, but I am concerned about the reliability.
That would be cool, Greg. Suzuki could upgrade the DRZ400 easily, but they choose not to. 😢
you can get the versys x300
Looking at a 2022 hold over at a dealer. And here in the states, we get the fully adjustable suspension here. The one at the dealer they are asking $5999. Thats new. For prices lately, im truly temped to snap it up and then switch out the wheels for the new spoked wheels.
I'm surprised they haven't come up with a slightly more expensive model with enduro suspension and spoked 21/18 wheels.
this review is a lot different from many others , so yes your right you need to ride it and see if it suits you ,/your riding , which i hope to get the chance later this year , ill let you know how i go and what i think of the 390 . current ride 2014 ktm 500 exc , 2011 250exc 2 banger , and yamaha TW200 . im 62 , cheers Steve/west Australia
Cheers Steve, I hope it was useful. I'm very concerned that most 'reviews' today are just regurgitating the manufacturer's promotional material and not attempting a serious critique. I have heard industry guys repeatedly say that motojournalists avoid serious criticism so they'll have ongoing access to test bikes in future.
I tried one of these in a head to head day of riding a CRF 250 Rally, Royal Enfield Himalayan and BMW G310GS. It was much faster than the other bikes but I seemed to be constantly changing gears. It was definitely more road biased but was ok off road. The CRF was by far the best off road and so much more confidence inspiring. I came away from the day firmly prefering the Beemer to all of them but apparently lots of people prefer the Himalayan for its gearing (which was definitely the best of all the bikes). It's not a bad bike though, great price for what you get, as are all of them, particularly the Himalayan.
Many hope that Honda will creat a CRF450 Rally but without letting it get too heavy... and give it a decent oil capacity to avoid the constant oil changes demanded by the current CRF450L manual.
@@crosstrainingadventure I realise this is completely off KTM 390 Adventure topic, but a CRF 450, now that would be an interesting bike, could be the key to unlocking a proper "Adventure" iteration of the CRF range. I agree though, the CRFs definitely need better oil capacities, however, people do still choose to ride them as proper "Adventure" bikes around the world. I would be too scared of subframe failure due to extra luggage and bloke weight (even a fairly light bloke). In fact, back on topic, I would be afraid of that from all the lightweight, smaller bikes including the 390 for any proper pan continental travel. I also think that the 390 was probably designed specifically for the marketplace of their manufacturing base, hence the somewhat cramped feel for some. Absolutely perfect for riding round New Delhi's Connaught Circus, through the city and onto the Yamuna Expressway to go visit the Taj Mahal but maybe less so for any one of the thousands of single track routes through the Australian bush. Has anyone tried the Chinese built Zontes ZT310-T2? :-D...no, I'm serious...:-)
I would love to see Honda do a proper rally treatment of the CRF450L, Phil! Or for any brand to adventurize their biggest enduro model... sigh. Subframes will always be an issue on the smaller bikes, even the DR650 needs a certain weld reinforced if you want to carry any serious luggage.
I am 188cm tall, 90kg, and looking for my first bike, and this one is on top of mu list at the moment. Would use it for daily commuting and weekend trips to surrounding hills and mountains. Would you suggest looking elsewere, or I could make it work with mods? I also value comfort a lot, and I see most people complain about the seat. Any other suggestions, I would look at any bike up to 650-700cc range?
Unfortunately we never make personal bike recommendations, Luka. We just provide generic advice (see our best lightweight adv bike video) and always recommend a test ride if possible. We all have different perspectives. E.g. I don't care how hard a seat is, as we ride as much dirt road as possible and I'm often standing up.
I'm 6.2 and had a Z1000SX with a seat height of 815mm. The bike was okay for me. Why do you think that bike with a seat height of 855mm is for short riders? I tried this bike today (just seating), and it was completely fine. I didn't feel cramped at all.
This can be affected by body proportions too of course, Chris... e.g. body torso/arms/legs ratio. I felt comfortable sitting on the bike too but once you are actually riding it can change quickly, especially when standing on the footpegs.
Fair evaluation of a modified road bike. No serious dirt rider would touch this bike.
Absolutely. And it does worry me that some will see KTM's promo shots of wheelies, jumps and power slides then assume this is a capable offroad bike.
@@crosstrainingadventure The term "Adventure" is the greatest bike marketing con for decades. I fully expect to see HOnda bring out a Goldwing Adventure soon. Isn't every bike trip an adventure?
😂
You are still havening the old version of the cb500x in your charts, i recommend you try the 19+ model, because it's really way better than the old one and probably on par offroad with the 390 but way better onroad.
With the bigger front wheel I'm sure the current CB500X is better on the dirt, but I suspect its weight will still make it handful compared to the 390... which still isn't a lightweight bike for a single lol. But yes I'd like to try the more recent Honda.
@@crosstrainingadventure It´s not just the larger front wheel. Suspension and riding position is significantly better too, I had both models and do a lot of offroad. With the old model I would not even do unpaved tracks it really was a plain road bike.
Oregon motorcycle mentioned that 390 is better offroad, better suspension and lighter, though hes taking his cb500x in worse places than many bring their "proper" adv bikes
They should have called it the 390 Touring. I had a 390 Duke and enjoyed it. I wish they'd put that engine in a slightly lighter 690 Enduro style chassis to make a DRZ 400 replacement.
Good point, Bernie. It is more a 'sports tourer' as many of the seriously big bikes are being called. I was expecting an 'adventurized' 450EXC which would have been interesting...
Test rode one, but only in the city, where it was quite fun. I loved the fact that it is VERY smooth for a 390cc single. Position feels very streetish and cramped even for me (1.75m tall or 5'9" in bald eagles). Quality does feel rather cheap, at least in some aspects. For instance, my windscreen rattled like crazy during the test.
Damn, it still feels cramped at 1.75m tall? Have you made any changes? I figure the taller seat and/or lower footpegs would help/
@@crosstrainingadventure It was just a test ride so it was complete stock. Risers + lower pegs would help, I imagine, but the overall feeling was very street oriented.
I saw a long term review of an aussie female rider for the 390 Adventure (with a lot of mods). MVDBR Enduro I believe is the channel name. However she is around 1.65m tall and probably a better fit.
EXCELLENT view and comments.
Barry = LEGEND !!!
Cheers Terry. As Aussies tend to say, I'm probably just a legend in my own lunchtime... if at all. 🤣
Tossing between this and Honda crf300rally. Thoughts? Some dirt riding some adventure. 5’7 lady.
I couldn't really add more to what's in this vid and the one about best lightweight adv bikes, Chloe. The 390 is just a converted road bike essentially. The CRF is a true dual sport. Probably depends if you are mainly doing road or dirt roads?
It seems the Asian market for enduro/adv styling might be behind, pushing these smaller bikes. I think some of them have even outlawed older models. It seems like KTM did a great job of building a commuter/light adv bike. Anyone can abuse a bike and then declare it not suitable for the type of riding it wasn't designed for.
I think we are lucky it took quite a while for the adv model to come about. I was reading up about all the issues with earlier 390 models, especially the higher tuned RC models. There were many debates about whether the Indian factory wasn't exercising good quality control, or was KTM just releasing models too soon on an unsuspecting public.
😅 you could be right about public R&D
ah while you mentioned a wee bit about crf 300L, do you have any intention to review it?
As per other comments, if someone offers us one to ride we will. 😊 But we gave up asking the manufacturers as they never respond... I suspect because they don't like criticial reviews lol.
This bike ain't aimed at serious off road riders at all , it's to get people onto the dirt then eventually upgrade to the 790 Adventure or the other KTM/Husky real dirt bikes. It's more then capable of 90-95% of the stuff most people do on dirt though. On the note about the numbness from the bike, I got new grips and thicker gloves and it did jack all on my Duke 390 but you learn to live with it since it's a thrumper single cylinder and all the more reason to to upgrade to KTM/Husky's bigger CC bikes.
Potentially silly question. Do you 'only' need spoke over cast wheels if you're going to be off roading? Or would I as a 99% on roader, 1% fire trail rider still need/want the spokes?
Cast wheels will dent a lot easier and can even break but it needs a fair impact usually.
My fingers really start ta tingl'in when I fall asleep with my hand hang'in over the back a the couch IDK might be a faulty counter balancer OR it's jest me be'in a big single thumper 👍😅
🤣
ayup barry it seems more road orientated to me ive always said a enduro bike is more suited to english roads due to the pot holes and state of them bikes like this are ideal
Have you thought of reviewing a Royal Enfield himalayan. I am curious about your thoughts compared to the Ktm 390 adventure.
If one became available, Tony? Probably. Unfortunately none of the manufacturers are keen to offer us test bikes to review... we suspect this is because we are quite critical and do the usual glowing 'reviews'. So we only cover bikes when the owner is willing to let us ride them.
How does this compare to the dr650 long distance highway touring?
Everyone will have a different opinion about this. But I dislike the sustained high revs of any bike under 650cc on the highway. But a lot of riders would say even the DR isn't great for highway... hard seat, no windscreen etc. Others say it's fine though.
Great review!
Thanks!
I see on the bike you reviewed it has spoked wheels and knobby tires, where did they come from and do you have a cost for them?
This was originally a demo bike set up by KTM, Owen... so the wheels should be available as 'Power Parts' or whatever they call them. The owner said he didn't think they were worthwhile, the rear rim is too wide and you have to fit a huge tyre that isn't needed on such a small bike.
I am enjoying my 390 Adventure. The chain was junk, but everything else seems well done. 9K miles at this point.
Any idea what brand the chain was? Given the cheap price of the bike I wouldn't be surprised if they went for a cheap chain...
@@crosstrainingadventure Unsure of the manufacturer. Something low end though, the weight was significantly lighter than the replacement chain.
Not a good sign... you wouldn't want the chain failing in the middle of nowhere.
Where would a CRF 450L fit on the spectrum @3:42? Thanks!
I'm sure some will disagree, but I'd say halfway between a dirt bike and and adventure bike. And I haven't ridden one, that's just looking at the specs.
@@crosstrainingadventure thank you!
Good review, thankyou. I am looking for a swiss army knife - a light all roads travel bike. I thought this might be an option.
I am in Tasmania. A windy place quite often, so sitting up like a sail in the wind on a light bike is not ideal.
I moved from a dr650 to a gs 650 which got me down lower, now I am looking for a lighter option.
I am 185cm .
Hey Barry. Mostly agree with your findings. I think this is an OK "bad pavement/easy gravel" bike, but it's probably closer to KTM's GT in its riding position/function than it is the 21-inch-wheeled Adventure models.
I wonder if they'll bring out a more dirt oriented version...
Like it but Gonna wait for 490 adv r in spring. I’m 6’1” and my 1190 fits like a glove. Rode a 390 and size felt like a child bicycle. Fun lightweight for sure. Hoping 490 is close to or uses 890 chassis
I'm a bit taller again and had to fold myself into the 390 lol.
Would anyone know what I could do to a 390 to make it more off-road capable?
Some would say remove the gas cap and slide a different bike underneath... 😂 Just the usual. Better rubber. Suspension upgrade. Maybe spoked wheels. But it's still essentially a road bike with adv trimmings.
@@crosstrainingadventure lmao
Traction control Off. Handle bar risers. Larger foot pegs. Fuel programmer from Best duel sport bikes. 48 tooth rear sprocket (bds). Hyperpro Progressive fork springs. Hyperpro rear shock built to your weight and riding style. Total game changer.
@@scottporter0069 thanks brother
Really enjoyed your video.
Thanks Greg
Regardless of your review, which was honest to goodness. As a 390 owner, I am chuffed that it piqued your interest enough to do a review in the first place!
Our pleasure, Owen. If I was a lot shorter and mainly did road riding it would certainly be on my list. Enjoying yours? No issues?
@@crosstrainingadventure Hi yes I am, I find it quite capable off road and I am still running the stock tires TK 70's. Fuel range is insanely good also. Replaced crappy bash plate, put crash bars on it and various racks. Touch wood I haven't had any mechanical or other issues with it yet and I love the service intervals! Compared to my old 350 it is quite cumbersome and heavy but its horses for courses eh!
Man I really want to trade in my 2019 dr200 towards one of these. I love the Suzuki, but it’s lack luster in so many areas. Or maybe just keep it and try to get one of these as well.
I was on the fence about the Duke VS Adventure. Appreciate your unbiased opinion!
You have saved me a disappointment
Thank you!
Glad it was helpful, which do you think you will buy?
I see the Canuck still needs to be reminded to keep left LOL.
😂 Apparently it used to be KTM's demo bike at rallies so it was a reminder for all the international guys who flew in.
What about all that buzz about that PR7 from APK? I hope you can get your paws on one of those
A few years back I tried contacting the local dealer and national distributor several times to do a review but never heard back... so I figured they weren't interested in selling them lol.
Nice review
Please do a stress test review of the Xpulse 200 4V sold in India.
If you buy one and send it to us in Australia... sure!
@@crosstrainingadventure Thanks for the offer! 😜 I am saving up rather for one. If doable, I will ship it for review. 🤭
Let me tell you that this model has risen to be one most capable bikes in the country. The engine performance is not earth shattering but every thing else: net mass, ground clearance, suspension, spoked wheels with 21/18 inches, etc suits it for the off road as well commuting duties, with touring if one is willing to make some sacrifices. Plus it can also be retrofitted with a rally kit from the OEM: ua-cam.com/video/1K9Q47Rd2sY/v-deo.html
The parts are cheap and the service intervals are long and very economical.
There is room for improvement though (a power and torque bump with better seats without going past 160 KG), that it might just be the unicorn bike I keep hearing about in UA-cam.
@@crosstrainingadventure And here's a full review of the latest iteration of the bike: ua-cam.com/video/JuKQDfZUIgU/v-deo.html
You said it comes with basic ABS, but it also has cornering ABS!
I ride mine in the mountains of Colorado on and off road. Now simply put, this bike will go where any BWM GS and it's rider would fear to tread. In fact you never see a GS on any of the trails I ride, they are just too rocky, steep and narrow for any large Adventure bike to be taken. Now I do have extensive off road experience riding every type of dirt bike there is and this is a great advantage. But almost all reviewers have little real off road experience as you'll notice they rarely test on anything but mild two-track roads - they just lack any real experience and it shows. Is this a dirt bike... no but it's not supposed to be. But at less than 400lbs and with it's excellent suspension and geometry, it will just about handle anything I can throw at it. Yes I put a better skid plate on it and yes I've hit it hard a few times, but I take all bikes to their limit just to know what to expect. You just have to slow down a bit on the rough stuff and pick your way around larger rocks. If you like blasting down single track, forget any adventure bike and get a true street legal Enduro.
I agree, Bill. An experienced rider will get the 390 through some quite gnarly terrain. I've done the same with my DR650 by trying to ride some of our hard enduro tracks. But I'm very aware that there's a huge number of guys in their 50s and older who are getting into adventure riding for the first time. Some have no riding experience, some are just former road riders. So if they plan on getting into 'adventurous' terrain, I'd still steer them toward lighter 250 dual sports and they can upgrade later as their skills develop. 😁
@@crosstrainingadventure I do realize many look to this bike as their first bike although I really dont think it is marketed that way. Mostly I hear that comment out of those that choose the large adventure bikes and then since this bike is smaller call it an entry level bike. That is far from the truth. Large adventure bikes do their best to toss you to the ground when the going gets tough. They will wear you out very quickly off road. They make great travel bikes but their shear weight, and high center of gravity make them unwieldy in the rough stuff. These newer downsized "adventure bikes" seem to be chosen by those dirt oriented riders that appreciate shorter lighter bikes you can ride longer distances just to get to your off road destination. I really think when reviewing bikes it must be done with the manufacturers intent in mind and who might benefit from this bike. That means it must be tested in mild to extreme terrain and by a rider experienced in all types of bikes and with a lot of experience in all kind of terrain. I appreciate you taking the time to create these reviews.
Glad you are enjoying the reviews, Bill. I know my personal biases sneak in, but I always encourage viewers to check as many reviews as possible for a balanced perspective.
video on the crf300L 🥺, please 🥺
If someone lends us one... sure!
How are the vibrations??
I'm the wrong person to ask, I don't really notice vibrations for some reason...
It’s heavier then my DR.just this is a big turn off.
Keeping the DR for a long while I am thinking
It is a shame they didn't make it lighter. As per the vid, I didn't really notice the weight as it's quite low and I'm very tall. But short riders will just find it that bit hard to balance at a standstill... a wet weight similar to a DRZ400 would have been great.
I own the cuter version known as the Husqvarna Svartpilen, supposedly and "Enduro" bike, however based on the scientifically scale of measurement found in this video, I find it to be more of a street hooligan than off-roader. Still lots of fun as an urban runabout!
It is one weird looking bike to me, Shawn! It's another bike made in India and seems to target the scrambler market? In Australia it seems to have the usual price markup simply because it's a Husqvarna. For the money, I'd rather buy a Japanese model but that's just me.... It sounds as though you are enjoying it though?
@@crosstrainingadventure Funny enough it's actually made in Austria! Living in the US we have a limited market which is terrible because your channel is the reason I'm now biking off road. Keep the vids coming!
My understanding was they were intially made in Austria but then swung over to the Bajas factory in India in late 2018. www.carandbike.com/news/husqvarna-vitpilen-401-svartpilen-401-will-be-made-in-india-10-things-to-know-1720055
@@crosstrainingadventure Very interesting... I bought a 2021 Royal Enfield last month and clocked about 3200km so far, the Husky is about 3 years old. Given what I've seen as a mechanic, India's quality control and assembly has improved significantly in the last 5 years. I want to log about 10,000kms on each before giving a more in depth review.
Great to hear about the improvement, Shawn. There was a ridiculously long list of issues with the earlier 390s.
Yo tengo una y va bien en tierra si vas a ritmo de paseo. De hecho, no es necesario ir de pie, a no ser que esté el terreno muy roto. Sentado se domina uy bien el tren trasero y se puede dirigir bien la rueda trasera con las piernas y los pies. Gracias por la review!
De nada! Glad you are enjoying the bike. 😊
does anyone know the service interval of the engine oil?
7500km
@@Brian0869 thank you, that's not bad, I thought it'd be shorter, but I didn't have a clue either.
who was the little boy riding the 390, was he old enough to have a license
Its dry weight is 158 kg per tech specifications not 172kg
The vid said "The reported weight of the KTM 390 Adventure is 172kg fully fuelled." Yes the reported dry weight is 158kg.
@@crosstrainingadventure True my apologies but is more accurate to compare this bike with their closest competitors in the segment of small adventure bikes such the Versys and G310. Hence is wrong to call the KTM a heavy bike...have a look at the charts you brought at 5:05
ktm 172
Kawa 176
G310 169.5
All pretty similar
I am just saying, this bike is not heavy at all since is an adventure one....cheers
That's true, if you assess the 390 specifically against other road-oriented adventure bikes with 19 inch front wheels and less suspension travel etc then it is lighter.
@@crosstrainingadventure Out of curiosity, which other Adventure motorcycle , less than 500 cc, comes with a larger front wheel than 19 inches? I know many dual sport but that is another segment
Anyone that believes that a ''ready to race'' made in India will be on a level of the classic Austrian dual sport bike is no less than a sheeple.
The ktm 390 adv has anything but ugly at dry weight 158 kilo, unless one hates the orange color😁...likely the set up of a quality chain, more confy seat, proper foot pegs for the nasty roads, some spoke tubeless wheels (19') and a skid to protect the engine and more (all which can be bought at ktm or eom...) this little ktm is pretty cool...for less than 7k
Off the top of my head, the Royal Enfield and CRF300 Rally... then a pile of bikes if you are willing to adapt all the dual sport models.
Not for me. I'll take a DRZ over it every time. I was expecting a through thrashing of the bike by you due to past ktm comments. Not a single smartass comment in the vid. Ha!
Everyone knows I'm not a fan of KTMs but when it comes to actual reviews I try to be 100% objective. 😂 But man, it was so tempting to list all the issues with the earlier 390 Duke models in the earlier years, it would have been like watching a disaster movie lol. And of course I hate road-oriented adventure bikes so I had to really haul the brakes on there too.
DRZ was big news 20 years ago. If only US hiways were limited to 60mph............
0:37 Rear shcok ???
That's a highly modified 'shock', Axl. 🤣 This video took so long I didn't do my final check properly, I also got the weight wrong on the BMW... doh!
When I heard years ago that KTM would make a 400, I thought it would be a smaller 690. It's not.
What would be brilliant is if they adventurized the 450EXC instead. Detune it for reliability, lowered, cush drive hub, comfy seat, windscreen, bigger oil capacity. It's what many are calling for but we aren't seeing it.
@@crosstrainingadventure Hi Barry, we're all hanging out for you to get you your hands on a SWM500R! Maybe that is the unicorn bike??? Going by your review/s on the SWM300 then it looks promising.
@@crosstrainingadventure I'd be happy with the suspension unchanged, just the motor and cush drive. No need to lower it.
Their document to investors has shown a 390/401 Enduro for a couple of years now... I'm still waiting...
For me, that close ratio gearbox would be a killer, Andrew. It was annoying on the 300, to me it would be unbearable on the 500. I don't know why they never changed to wider ratios. SWM could potentially make a killing on the 500 model if they adventurised it a bit. Wide ratios, cush drive hub, comfy seat, a little rally windscreen!
Just sitring here watching the channel and a bunch of vedio's and wanted to thank yall. In a world where everything is hyper political, even almost everything on youtube, you guys, everide and a few othere manahe tocnot be insane, or insane in a hyper political way. I nust want to thank you guys for producing good vids so we can escape all the BS. Pretty good even for a narion of convicts that make to much fun of Harley riders. Thanks guys.
Thanks Chris. Yeah it's weird how so many riders are now making political statements even in these UA-cam comments lol. I really can't see the point of political or religious discussions as 99% of people just want to convince others to join their 'correct' way of thinking lol. And start yelling when they can't convince them. Sigh.
Duke, its for me!
dont expect to much with this bike, because its a mid size adv.
hmm...Could be my next bike
Just dont like Orange.
Rather have the 24 bhp Himalayan thumper. Low revver, big torque, air cooled.
I'm with you Michael lol. I'm no fan of KTM but I always drop my prejudices when doing a serious review and try to be objective as possible.
Please compare with Svartpilen 401.
Svartpilen is the same engine, but it is most definitely a road bike only
@@kylejscheffler I own one and live in a forrest (500m gravel to my mailbox). Just want to know how the adventure compares. Svartpilen should be an Adventure with better tires.
We don't get into road bikes at all, but I'm sure reading up about them forums would be revealing.
Svartpilen 401 is just a KTM Duke 390 dressed in Hipster Cafe Racer clothes compared to the 390 Adventure which is dressed in Weekend Warrior camp ware.
Isn’t the point of any review of a bike to really simply compare it to other bikes in the same price range and class ? If that’s the case and I do think it is then what can you even compare to this bike ? I know I can’t find anything. Not that has the features this has. Not even close.
By the way I like your review. I was just addressing the non stop comments I see on these videos for the 390 adv.
I'd say the 300s put out by BMW and Kawasaki are very similar except for smaller engines.
@@crosstrainingadventure no adjustable suspension , none of the electronics and riding modes etc , I could keep going. The bmw is the closest the Kawasaki is not at all.
If you are into electronics and gadgets, sure... but then if you prefer reliability and less things to go wrong...
Seems more and more like a better wife bike than a little crf250l
If rarely doing any rough terrain, it could well be, Matt. But that 21 inch front wheel and longer suspension on the Honda will make it much more stable in the dirt.
Don’t unrate the 390 check out Josh & Nats Aussie Utube channel MVBDR 👍 a fantastic channel that takes the 390 to its limits
I think the problem is that if you put good riders on any bike they can make the bike seem incredible. Pol Tarres is curently racing a Yamaha T7 at the Romaniacs hard enduro. My concern is that we everyday riders will think these bikes can be ridden like that offroad and we'll just hurt ourselves lol. Look at the crazy stuff Toni Bou is doing on the Africa Twin. 99.9% of riders will end up in hospital attemping the same. The 390 is definitely just a road bike with a few adv trimmings.
@@crosstrainingadventure , I agree ☝️ that the top 10% ( or less ) of riders make it look easy or a Big ADV bike . But Nat on her 390 is no Toby Price either, don’t get me wrong she quit a good female rider and the main reason Josh brought his T7 and Nat the 390 is so they could go on long ADV trips away which they have done ✅ on many occasions. But they seem to prefer riding them through single track then Nats KTM 300 and Josh KTM 500 ( I don’t get that ) But I think 🤔 because it’s more of a challenge, and I do think from the way her bike has been ridden over the last year with at least 80% off road - and ALOT of that SNOTTY the bike has held up very well ( she had the wire wheels fitted to hers ) I actually disagree that it’s mainly a street bike ( I would have agreed before I she what she has done with it ) and as I said she is no Toby Price , but will give credit we’re credit is due a very good 👍 rider.
I figure it will always be 80% the rider and 20% the bike so anyone with a reasonable amount of skill could take the 390 down some single track for sure. But that small front wheel, lack of suspension travel, poor ground clearance, road oriented ergos etc will make it tougher, that's all. I've taken my DR650 on some hard enduro tracks fairly successfully but I won't be calling it a dirt bike any time soon. 😊
@@crosstrainingadventure Agee , iv taken my XT 660 , SWM 650 Superdual ( 21/18 wheels ) on some pretty snotty trails as well - it’s hard work especially picking it up of pushing it up stuff etc . If I’m picking or pushing ( not happy or enjoying myself - I don’t like exercise 😂😂😂😂 . 30 years in the Army cured me from that 👍. ) anyway she loves it and has given her countless hours of enjoyment. I really enjoy your vids mate .I reckon your riding over 50 is GOLD . I’m 53 . Great 👍 content. Also enjoyed your helmet ⛑ safety ratings one as well .
Glad you are enjoying the Superdual! I almost bought one but the extra weight over the DR650 was a bit too much. I would have loved the earlier SWM RS650R which was much lighter than the DR650....
Good video man but I think you completely missed the point of the bike. Don't get me wrong it too me a while too. It's a bike meant for WOMEN and not any kind, first timers most likely . If you try to put yourself on that perspective you'll see that everything makes a lot more sense now
I disagree, Oscar. If that was KTM's intention then they'd have marketed it that way. And I think all the positive comments from male owners in these comments show that it's not a gender-specific bike. Apart from the fact the women riders I hang with can outride most guys too. 😁 But otherwise... yes, aggressive or gnarly adventure riders won't like this road-oriented bike.
@@crosstrainingadventure have you ever seen a "women only" bike ever? Or marketed as such? I haven't.
@@crosstrainingadventure I'm going to ask it differently. If your daughter wanted an adventure bike, wouldn't this one a really solid candidate due to its low height, not hard enduro oriented and extra safety tech features (absent in the segment for the price)?
I think it's one of various possibilties, Oscar. If she was quite new to the sport I'd be more inclined toward the 250s and 300 models. While the 390 feels like a small light bike to experienced riders, it could still be a handful for beginners. I think the Japanese dual sport bikes would be a great start.
@@crosstrainingadventure good luck if she is 1.5m tall getting on dual sport, which is my entire point
This is the most uncomfortable bike I have ever been on .
what the hell you call a short rider? This KTM isnt suitable for riders shorter than 5'8 with limited riding experience.
855 mm high seat for short riders? from where?
What are you trying to say exactly?
1:17 Get on your own side of the road!
Remind us never to go riding with you. 😂
damn shit on this bike some more.
As the review says, it's looking at the good, the bad and ugly, Anthony. We do this with all our reviews instead of the usual "Ain't this an amazing bike?!" routine of most social media influencers. Our favourite bike is the DR650 but we spent an entire vid cataloguing all the bad points.
@@crosstrainingadventure idk if I was in your position I would use it to get people excited about motorcycling. This is an entry level bike not a bmw tourer/adventure. Very pessimistic
It’s like saying “this Honda Civic is shit because I drove a Ferrari once”
If viewers want glowing reviews they'll find them on almost every other channel. I suspect you'll want the same reviews if you think my reviews are pessimistic.😂 Regular viewers know I look for the good and bad.
Great review!
Glad you enjoyed it!